Build four nuclear plants a week, or phase it out, report says

Four nuclear power stations would have to be built every week from now on if nuclear power is to play a serious role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, a report by the Oxford Research Group has concluded.

The group attacked the idea of a huge growth in nuclear power as 'beyond the capacity of the industry', and concluded that such a programme would 'stretch the International Atomic Energy Agency to breaking point' just in terms of monitoring and safeguards.

The report argues that for nuclear power to be a significant part of our future energy mix, it would have to supply one-third of our electricity by 2075. This would mean an unfeasible building programme of four new power stations every month worldwide for the next 70 years.

'Unless it can be demonstrated with certainty that nuclear power can make a major contribution to global co2 mitigation, nuclear power should be taken out of the mix,' the report concluded.